Thursday, December 30, 2010

Auschwitz Sign Theft: Swedish Man Jailed

BBC: A Polish judge has jailed a Swedish man for two years and eight months for plotting the theft of the "Arbeit macht frei" Auschwitz entrance sign.

Anders Hoegstroem, a former neo-Nazi leader, admitted theft under a plea bargain last month and will be moved to Sweden to serve his sentence.

The infamous sign was stolen in December last year and recovered in three pieces three days later.

The judge in Krakow also jailed two Poles for up to two-and-a-half years.

One of the pair, named as Andrzej S, apologised in court for the offence, Polish media report.

The 5m (16ft) wrought-iron slogan which translates as "Work sets you free" is a potent symbol of many of the Nazi-era atrocities. During the Nazi Holocaust, 1.1 million people - most of them Jews - were murdered at Auschwitz. >>> | Thursday, December 30, 2010